Iowa & Nebraska
Home base. Waukee, Iowa. Serving contractors and architects across the Des Moines metro and statewide.
IA · NEThe Company
A direct import desk for the trade.
Between Coasts Timber Co. is a wholesale hardwood importer based in Waukee, Iowa. We bring plantation-grown teak and Cupressus lusitanica from a vertically integrated Costa Rican producer, cleared through Houston, and distribute wholesale to contractors and architects across the Midwest and Rocky Mountain region.
Who We Are
The honest version.
Between Coasts is the U.S. brand and distribution layer for a plantation hardwood producer in southern Costa Rica. Our supplier has been operating for nearly three decades — plantation, mill, kiln, moulder, and packing line all on-site. We handle the U.S. side: import logistics, customs, customer relationships, and delivery.
We are not a plantation. We are not a mill. We don't have a warehouse. What we have is a direct relationship with a serious producer, an understanding of the CAFTA-DR tariff framework, and a focus on the upper Midwest — a region where our supplier has had zero distribution until now.
That's the actual business. We think it's a good one. We'd rather you understand it clearly than be oversold something that creates complications later.
What Between Coasts is — and isn't
We are
- A licensed U.S. hardwood importer
- The U.S. distribution channel for our Costa Rica supplier
- A wholesale-only operation — trade buyers
- A CAFTA-DR 0% duty importer (HTS 4407)
- Focused on IA, NE, KS, MN, MO, WI, CO
We are not
- A plantation or mill operator
- FSC certified (our supplier is not)
- A warehouse or stocking distributor
- A retail or consumer operation
- A full-line lumber yard
The Supply Chain
Where it comes from. How it moves.
- Origin
Southern Costa Rica — plantation-grown
Teak (Tectona grandis) and cypress (Cupressus lusitanica) grown on plantation lands in southern Costa Rica. Our supplier operates approximately 1,500 acres of multi-age stands, selectively harvested. No old-growth. No clear-cut tropical timber. Certificate of Origin issued per shipment confirming plantation source.
- Processing
Vertically integrated — mill, kiln, moulder, packing
Our Costa Rican supplier operates the full production chain on-site: plantation, sawmill, kiln, moulder, gluing line, and container packing. Product is dimensioned, kiln-dried, and profiled in Costa Rica before containerization. You receive finished product, not green lumber.
- Export docs
Clean documentation, every shipment
CAFTA-DR Certificate of Origin confirming qualifying goods. Phytosanitary certificate issued by SENASA (Costa Rica's national animal and plant health service). ISPM-15 compliant wooden packaging. These documents travel with every container and are available to buyers on request.
- U.S. entry
Port of Houston — 0% duty under CAFTA-DR
Containers clear customs at the Port of Houston. Under CAFTA-DR, plantation-grown teak and cypress from Costa Rica qualify for 0% import duty on HTS heading 4407 (wood sawn or chipped). The duty savings is built into our landed pricing — it is not a margin capture.
- Delivery
Door-to-door to your project or yard
We coordinate container logistics from Houston to your delivery address across our service region. We don't operate a physical warehouse — orders are coordinated as containers arrive. Lead times depend on container scheduling; contact us for current availability.
Service Region
Where we focus.
Our initial territory is the upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain region — an area where our Costa Rican supplier has had no distribution until now. We're building it from scratch, contractor by contractor.
Four-State Reach
Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Container logistics to any delivery address in the region.
KS · MN · MO · WIColorado
Serving Colorado contractors and architects — a growing market for premium exterior wood in mountain and urban residential applications.
COOutside these states? Contact us — we'll tell you honestly whether we can serve you or not.
Talk to us about your next project.
Fill out the trade inquiry form. We'll respond within one business day with specs, samples, and a pricing conversation — no fluff.